From its humble start as a two-day mountain bike event, the Sea Otter Classic is now an evolving combination of pro and amateur road racing, mountain biking, gravity (high speed downhill and jumping) racing and BMX competition (the new Olympic discipline).

Throw in myriad industry vendors, concessions, exhibitions and demonstrations and the Sea Otter Classic is a cycling kaleidoscope.

Yohannan, of Pebble Beach, is president and CEO and the only remaining employee from the event that debuted April 6, 1991.

A retired lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps, Yohannan and co-event founder Lou Rudolph, both in career transitions, met in Rotary International and decided to start an event management business. While visiting Jocelyn's Bicycles in Monterey, the owner suggested organizing a bicycle race.

An estimated 350 participants and 150 spectators attended the inaugural event called the Laguna Seca Challenge. Its headquarters were two canopy tents — one for officials, one for athlete registration.

More than 9,000 athletes, several thousand campers, 300 vendors and attendance approaching 50,000 (depending upon weather conditions) are expected this year.

A staff of a half-dozen works on the event year-round. About 100 contractors are hired as the event approaches and during race week an estimated 1,200 people, mostly volunteers, work at the event.

Through the years, the event has welcomed an unmatched array of bicycle riders — iconic professionals to senior age-group newcomers.

Jonathan Boyer of Carmel, the first American to compete in the Tour de France, and Gary Fisher, founder of Gary Fisher Mountain Bikes, both in their 50s, are regular age-group competitors.

Bay Area postal carriers, housewives from San Jose and families traveling from Sacramento and beyond are all also yearly attendees. They arrive to race or participate on the full spectrum of bicycles — tandem mountain bikes to single speed road machines. Or, they arrive just to vacation, buy gear and meet the pros.

Yohannan, 60, recently spoke with Herald correspondent James Raia about the event's legacy:

Question: Through the years, as cycling has progressed and undergone vast changes and focuses, what, if anything, has surprised you about the sport and the event?

Frank Yohannan: What surprised me in the early years is how much mountain biking grew. When the Bureau of Land Management property was still Fort Ord, I would go out there and have to get permission from the Army to use the trails. We were the first ones to use the property out there in 1992. It just grew from there. When BLM got the land, they became a wonderful partner.

Then in the early 2000s, the Lance Armstrong factor certainly had an impact on us in the respect that people were interested in cycling and even beyond just getting on a bike and racing. They would come out to Sea Otter just to see what cycling was all about and how they could get involved. That was a key benchmark for us — during the Lance Armstrong years when he was doing so well. The other thing that has surprised me is how the consumer trade show portion — the expo — of Sea Otter has grown. As I mentioned, the first year, we had two canopies. This year, we will have close to 300 vendors from around the world.

Q: What kind of feedback do you get from the public whether they're just attending the expo or there to watch races, compete or visit vendors?

A: We get an a awful lot of positive feedback every year from fans who say that it's really cool that they can walk around and meet the pros who are just lining up for a race or just coming back from a race. The everyday cycling enthusiast can go by and talk to a world champion or an Olympian in a casual setting. They (the public) can talk with the mechanics or the corporate reps about a new product. And I think that's very important part of the whole Sea Otter culture.

Q: Through the years, Sea Otter has sometimes had a title sponsor. But it hasn't had one for several years, Is that still a goal and is it attainable in the economy and considering cycling's issues right now?

A: We're always working on our sponsorship, yes. On the business side, sponsorship is very important. But it's just one revenue stream. Absolutely, we would love to have a title sponsor. We know that every corporation has its marketing goals and we would like to fit in. I'm always talking to potential sponsors and current sponsors.

I look at as several departments that make up the Sea Otter Classic. Some years, one department may be extremely strong. It's really a business that blends all of these departments. And when I look at it that way, it's just a business that continues to grow stronger. Some years, it grows really fast; some years it's a slower growth.

Q:In recent years, races like the Tour de Georgia and World Cup mountain biking have taken away some of the pro athletes who normally would compete at Sea Otter. Is that a concern?

A: Certainly, we'd prefer if no other events were conducted during Sea Otter week. But from a business statement and scheduling standpoint, we fully understand. This being an Olympic year, there are more major events, like World Cups, that have been moved earlier in the season and that's just part of putting on a world-class event. Yes, it would be nice if we could all just get our schedules worked out. But in reality, there just aren't enough weeks in the year not to conflict with other events.

Q:In recent years, Sea Otter has focused more on the mountain biking and gravity events. Might the Sea Otter still expand its road cycling and expand outside of the Peninsula like it did a few years ago in Redwood City?

A: We haven't closed the door on anything. But as far moving our footprint outside of the Laguna Seca area, it would probably be in the Central California area.

Q: Pro cycling is going through a tough time with all of the in-fighting among different governing bodies. The cyclists seem to getting the short end of the deal. Has it affected Sea Otter?

A: Not much. We have built the business to be more than just a competitive event. As you know, there's a lot of politics, quite frankly. We know we represent more than just the elite athletes. They're a very important part of what Sea Otter is all about. But they're not the only part. Our base is much broader.

Q:Sea Otter turns 20 in two years, do you have anything planned yet to commemorate the occasion? Anything special on the horizon?

A: Not at this point. We're getting through this one. Three weeks after the event I'll sit down with my staff and we'll do a review of how things went. What changes can we make? What improvements can we make and very quickly, we'll get focused on the '09 event.

Herald Correspondent James Raia conducted this interview.

Sea Otter Classic

What: A festival of cycling, featuring more than 9,000 athletes competing in events from road-circuit to pro mountain bike cross-country races.

Where: Laguna Seca Recreation Area

When: Thursday-Sunday Tickets: $10 per day and $30 for four days. Children under 12 will be admitted free.